Texas sisters bring free horse clinics to Montgomery County
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas - Haley and Kendall Higgins have been saddling up since they were kids.
"It's a lot of fun and something we want to do the rest of our lives," said Kendall.
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They found passion on horseback and fell in love with 4-H as teens. They continued to ride and now both ride for Tarleton's equestrian team while working on equine-focused degrees there and work in mounted patrol.
The two say 4-H put them on the right path to be successful in a demanding industry - but had its hurdles along the way.
"We had a lot of opportunities there, but there were also many that weren't accessible if you didn't have the money for it," said Haley.
So, they decided while home for the summer from school to start offering up what they've learned, free of charge. They host clinics on breeding, foal handling, mounted patrol and more at Higgins Ranch in Montgomery County. The clinics are open to all.
"4-H gives a lot of opportunity, but we take it to the next level if you will," said Haley. "We just want to give the kids opportunities that we never had as kids, [opportunities] that we would have died for," Kendall added.
"A lot of parents are shocked that we're doing this stuff for free, but they don't understand - we love to do it!" said Kendall.
13-year-old Shelby Laqua met the duo through 4-H and now regularly attends their clinics and events.
"I've learned more coming here than I have my entire life," she said. "Even if you don't have a horse, it's the best thing you can do, you can learn so much."
The Higgins host clinics throughout the summer, but also plan on coming home monthly until next year to work with Montgomery County 4-H's "Colt Program."
They also offer boarding and lessons at the ranch.
To learn about their opportunities, work and how to get involved, visit their website.